Railway-car.



PATENTED OCT. 9

A. G. WIEGHERS.

RAILWAY CAR.

7 APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1905.

-2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

,ms NORRIS PETERS cm, wnnnvamu, 0 cv No. 832,763. PATENTBD OCT. 9, 1906.

' A. G. WIEGHERS.

RAILWAY GAR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1906.

.2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RAILWAY-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

Application filed March 20,1905. Serial No. 250,898.

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. WIEOHERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to platforms for railway-cars, and has for its object to prevent persons from falling between the car and the station platforms, it being especially useful at stations with curved platforms. For this purpose I make part of the platform of the car movable, so as to partially or wholly fill the gap between the station-platform and the car.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side View showing the end portion of a car embodying my invention, the movable platform being in the position occupied when not in use and being adapted when in use to swing upward toward the station-platform. line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 3 3 ,of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of another form of my invention in which a movable platform is adapted to swing down toward the station-platform, it being shown in full lines folded against the car in the position occupied when not in use and in dotted lines resting on the stationplatform in the position occupied when in use. Fig. 5is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

In the forms of construction illustrated in the drawings, C indicates the car; P, the main platform of the car ,D, the door moved by the handle H and mounted to slide lengthwise of the car; S, the station-platform, and M indicates the movable platform hinged to the main platform P at 1 in any suitable manner by ordinary or spring hinges. The hinged platform M is connected with the sliding door D, so as to be moved by it in any suitable manner, such as by a rope or other flexible connection 2, attached to the movable platform M at 3 and the door D at 4 and passing through a guide 5, which forms a bend in said rope, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5.

In the construction shown in Fig. 4 a spring-buffer B is shown to prevent the mov- Fig. 2 is a section on the able platform M from slamming and making a noise when it is brought into the position shown in full lines in said figure. Italso assists in starting the movable platform M in its downward movement toward theposition shown in dotted lines in said figure.

In the construction and 3 the movable platform M is swung up toward the station-platform by the door Din opening. When the door D is again closed, the movable platform M falls, either by gravity or with the assistance of springs, to its original folded position, as shown in said gures.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the movable platform M swings down toward the station-platform S when the door is opened into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the buffer B assists in starting the movable platform M in its downward movement toward the station-platform; but this may be omitted and the door allowed to fall by gravity alone, or spring-hinges may be used. When the door D is closed, it returns the movable platform to its folded position. (Shown in full lines in Figs. 4 and 5.)

This invention is especially useful at stations where the platform is curved, such as in the subway in New York, where the light is not quite so good as it would be out of doors. Its use would prevent persons from falling down between the car and station platforms, as is now frequently the case where there is considerable space between the two in places where the station-platform is curved. The movable platform does not necessarily need to lap under or over the station-platform, but may, if desired, simply cover part of the space between the car and station platforms or may extend to just the edge of the stationplatform. A sliding door is shown; but a swinging door may be used equally well.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

In the claims the word door is intended to include any sliding or swinging door, gate, or bar to the car-platform.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of a door mounted to move lengthwise of the car, a platform movable transversely of the car, a flexible conshown in Figs. 1, 2,

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nection having a longitudinally-movable portion attached to the door and a transverselymovable portion attached to the platform, and a guide having sliding engagement with said flexible connection between said two portions and forming a bend in said connection.

2. The combination of a door mounted to move lengthwise of the car, a swinging platform movable up and down transversely of the car, a flexible connection, one end of which is attached to the door and movable lengthwise therewith, while its other end is attached to the platform and movable up and down therewith, and a guide having a sliding engagement with the central portion of said flexible connection and forming a bend therein.

3. The combination of a car-door, a platform movable transversely of the car, a flexible connection having its ends attached to said door and platform respectively, and a guide in sliding engagement with the central portion of said flexible connection, and forming a bend therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT C. WIECHERS.

Witnesses:

HANs v. BRIESEN, OTTO v. SCHRENK. 

